Prep Softball: Highland stars help coach Freeport's summer team

A full year removed from high school, Freeport grads Tayshia Taylor and Kierra Lewis have taken the next step in their softball careers with strong freshmen seasons at Highland. But this summer they’re back to help out those players who are still trying to improve for the Pretzels.

By Adam J. Kradle

Journal Standard

By Adam J. Kradle

Posted Jul. 3, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 3, 2013 at 2:22 AM

By Adam J. Kradle

Posted Jul. 3, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 3, 2013 at 2:22 AM

FREEPORT

A full year removed from high school, Freeport grads Tayshia Taylor and Kierra Lewis have taken the next step in their softball careers with strong freshmen seasons at Highland. But this summer they’re back to help out those players who are still trying to improve for the Pretzels.

“It’s cool especially when they’re playing college softball and the girls see them and they see where they can go and what they can do,” Freeport junior varsity coach Chad Hersey said. “Everybody looks up to them.”

Taylor and Lewis are assisting Hersey in coaching Freeport Orange, which includes all varsity-bound players, during the six-week Freeport summer league. The tandem was a huge part of Highland’s success this past spring, batting in the middle of the order of a potent lineup for the Cougars as they captured their first Arrowhead Conference title.

The two believe their experience can help the younger Freeport players.

“When we played and had people who just graduated coaching us it helped us sometimes better than the coaches,” Lewis said.

It has become common in recent years for recently graduated players to help out in the offseason. Former Pretzel standouts Heather Jurs and Lindsay Ellinor are among those who have done it in the past, and Hersey expects the trend to continue in the years to come.

“I’m sure when when this year’s crop of girls graduates we’ll see some of those girls here too,” Hersey said.

While Taylor and Lewis only have a year of college softball under their belt, it was a season in which plenty was learned by both players, and now they’re trying to pass some of that knowledge down.

“If they make errors, we just try to tell them not to get down on themselves and that it’s OK, they’ll get it next time,” Taylor said. “Or we’ll try to help them at the plate. If they’re doing something wrong, we’ll explain what they’re doing wrong so that their next at-bat they’ll know what to fix.”

There’s nothing complicated to it.

“We just basically tell them what our coach teaches us,” Lewis said.

“Just be more confident on the field and have fun,” Taylor said. “We all want to win, but you have to have fun while you’re doing it.”